MBA Accreditation: What It Is and How It Works

What Is MBA Accreditation?

Accreditation provides students, employers, and other stakeholders with a way to measure the effectiveness of an educational program or institution. It acts as a quality assurance tool, demonstrating whether a school and its programs have met acceptable standards. For MBA programs, accreditation occurs at institutional and programmatic levels, using guidelines set by business industry leaders.

Where you earn your MBA matters. Schools without proper MBA accreditation carry less prestige, don't offer the same learning outcomes, and aren't recognized by employers and other educators. When it comes to accreditation, MBA-seekers should only choose regionally accredited schools. Earning your degree from a regionally accredited school and a program with MBA accreditation ensures the quality and staying power of your degree.

Who Accredits MBA Programs?

There are a few independent agencies that administer MBA accreditation. Each organization applies its own criteria, but they all use guidelines established by the U.S. Department of Education (ED), the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA), and other stakeholders.

While specifics differ, each agency works to ensure that MBA programs achieve measurable learning outcomes that meet high standards of rigor. Learn more about each agency below.

AACSB is one of the oldest and most widely recognized MBA accreditation agencies. It accredits over 800 business schools throughout the world. AACSB-accredited programs must meet quality standards in three categories: learner success; strategic management and innovation; and thought leadership, engagement, and societal impact.

Industry leaders founded ACBSP over 30 years ago to accredit business schools that emphasize teaching and learning. Recognized programs must demonstrate a commitment to strategic planning, academic excellence, and continuous improvement. ACBSP accreditation demonstrates that programs develop practical skills that are valued by employers.

The IACBE puts MBA accreditation in global focus. It uses a mission-driven and outcomes-based process to evaluate business and management programs. IACBE accreditation requiress a comprehensive assessment of a program's educational process, including its use of proven best practices and other principles of excellence, like collegiality and cooperation.

This London-based accreditor focuses solely on MBA accreditation. Alongside AACSB and EQUIS, AMBA ranks among the most authoritative business accreditation agencies. Its accreditation process assesses employability and learning outcomes.

EQUIS administers a broad-based accreditation service that takes an international perspective, setting it apart from other top accreditors, like AMBA and AACSB. The agency measures accreditation against a set of quality assurance benchmarks, including sustainability and responsible governance, rigorous research and instruction, internationalization, and student engagement.

Evaluating a Potential MBA Program

Narrowing down your prospects may take time, but it will help you identify a top choices that meet your needs, paying off in the long run. Your career goals should be a major factor in your selection, but you also need to ensure that each prospective program holds MBA accreditation and comes from a regionally accredited school.

Other questions to consider include:

• Are there opportunities to specialize in areas of interest that will advance your career?
• How much will the MBA program cost, and does the school offer any scholarships or financial aid to help?
• Do you need more flexibility and accommodation? Does the program offer options for online delivery or part-time enrollment?
• Will the school accept your transfer credits? If so, what does that process entail?
• What does the admission process look like? Can you waive GMAT scores?

It's also important to know a few tell-tale signs of inferior or low-quality programming. Consider these red flags when assessing potential MBA programs.